After just one game between BIG EAST teams took place last week, there is a full slate of four conference games set for this week. The two games scheduled for Saturday will go a long way toward shaping the BIG EAST championship picture as Louisville visits Connecticut and Rutgers is at Pittsburgh. A Rutgers win would clinch at least a share of the league title for the Scarlet Knights. Wins by Rutgers and Connecticut would clinch the conference’s Bowl Championship Series bid. A Louisville win, meanwhile, sets up a winner-take-all game against Rutgers for the BCS bid next Thursday.

 

While the BIG EAST’s BCS bid will go to either Rutgers or Louisville, the players and coaches at Cincinnati and Syracuse can still clinch a share of the BIG EAST Championship if a number of games go their way in the final two weeks. Syracuse is 4-2 in BIG EAST play, while Cincinnati is 3-2. Both schools have played their way to bowl eligibility as Syracuse has won four of its last five games to get to 6-5 overall and Cincinnati sits at 7-3. 

 

Temple running back Montel Harris arrived in Philadelphia this year as a highly touted transfer from Boston College. He was the leading active rusher among FBS players and was BC’s career rushing leader. Harris has proven to be as good as advertised, particularly in last week’s 63-32 win at Army. He set school and BIG EAST records by rushing for 351 yards and seven touchdowns. Harris’ yardage total ranks as the 15th-best in NCAA FBS history and he turned in his 26th career 100-yard game – the most of any active player.

 

Two games on this week’s BIG EAST docket will see family members on opposing sidelines. Rutgers linebacker Khaseem Greene, the 2011 BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year, will oppose his brother – Pittsburgh running back Ray Graham – himself an All-BIG EAST First Team selection from last year.  The Temple-Syracuse game, meanwhile, will see Owls head coach Steve Addazio oppose his son Louie, who is a sophomore tight end at Syracuse.